How did “sustainability” in design become a dirty word?
5 things you can do now
Presented by Authentic Design Alliance and Design Made podcast for Melbourne Design Week 2026.
Generously hosted by Artbank and supported by Cultivated with ADA cofounder Cult, our panel discussion includes an exclusive guided tour of the RE:BORN exhibition.
The word “sustainability” has lost its way. Once a serious commitment, it has become marketing-speak, and the open door to greenwashing.
So what conversations should we be having instead, and how do we contribute to genuine change?
This moderated panel puts a direct question to designers, specifiers, makers and brands: how much of your work is doing real good for circularity and regenerative outcomes, and how much is performative?
Strip out the “eco” labels, the “sustainable materials palette”, the green photography. What is left? A circular system? A regenerative outcome? Or a story?
We unpack five practical levers: material choices, product stewardship, nature-positive impact, business behaviour, and advocacy. Small actions count. Personal decisions count. The choices you make at the brief count most of all.
All proceeds go to the Authentic Design Alliance advocacy and education program.
Panel:
Aleesha Callahan, founder of ‘About Futures’, a digital magazine platform for sustainable residential design.
Marnie Hawson, B Corp photographer and Wild Houses founder, who uses business as a tool to amplify nature-positive impact.
Joshua Ellis, Cultivated brand director. A product stewardship specialist, focused on circularity within the furniture industry
Led by:
Anne-Maree Sargeant, Authentic Design Alliance director and Design Made podcast host.
What you will take away:
- Sharper questions to ask before you specify, recommend or buy a material
- A clearer view of product stewardship, and what circularity looks like beyond the marketing
- How to think about nature-positive impact, at any scale of practice
- A way to talk about your business behaviour without greenwashing or staying silent
- Practical advocacy you can carry into your next brief, conversation or specification
About the Exhibition:
RE: ORN is a celebration of imagination and collaboration, and a powerful reminder that design can revive, reframe and reawaken what was once overlooked, giving it presence, purpose and a new life. The immersive exhibition unites furniture, fashion and art in a richly layered environment shaped by transformation, texture and imagination.
Generously hosted by Artbank and supported by Cultivated with ADA cofounder Cult, our panel discussion includes an exclusive guided tour of the RE:BORN exhibition.
Key Details:
The evening opens with an exclusive tour of RE: BORN, a zero-waste installation by Romance Was Born and Cultivated.
Tuesday 19 May 2026, 5.45 – 8.00 pm
Artbank, 18–24 Down Street, Collingwood, VIC.
Book Tickets: Humantix $30 (plus GST + bf)
Run order:
5.45 pm: Arrival for 6.00-6.30 pm: Exclusive RE: BORN exhibition tour
6.40 pm: Moderated panel discussion, 7.40 pm: Light refreshments and conversation
Who should come:
Architects, interior designers, furniture and product designers, designer-makers, specifiers, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sustainability leads, design educators, and design-aware consumers and collectors.
Become an ADA Member I authenticdesignalliance.org I Follow @design_made_ @authentic_design_alliance
PANELLISTS:
Aleesha Callahan, About Futures, Founder
Aleesha Callahan is a design journalist, editor and the founder of About Futures, an independent publication tracing the new era of sustainable design. With more than a decade in design media, she has edited Habitus, Australian Design Review and Indesign Live. She consults on communications for clients, including the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. aboutfutures.co
Marnie Hawson, Photographer and Wild Houses, Founder
Marnie Hawson is a former environmental scientist, now B Corp-certified photographer. She photographs sustainable architecture, green infrastructure and regenerative landscapes, work that helps designers show what responsible practice looks like. Her second venture, Wild Houses, is a one-to-one pledge program funding nest boxes for wildlife for every project delivered, alongside a biodiversity toolkit for the built environment. marniehawson.com.au; wildhouses.com.au
Joshua Ellis, Cultivated, Brand Director
Josh Ellis is a sustainability innovator leading circular design and material stewardship across the interior and furnishing sectors. For two decades, he has championed design longevity, transparency and material innovation, transforming the commercial interiors sector through ethical practice and support for Australian craftsmanship as Brand Director for Cultivated. As Cultivated brand director, Josh produced the RE:BORN exhibition. cultivated.com.au
Anne-Maree Sargeant (AMS), Authentic Design Alliance and Design Made podcast host
Anne-Maree Sargeant has advocated for the design industry for three decades, blending legal expertise with industry knowledge to defend original design and confront furniture piracy. Formerly editor-at-large of Belle magazine and part of the founding team at Space Furniture, AMS is committed to strengthening Australia’s furnishing and interior design landscape and now hosts the Design Made podcast, presented by the Authentic Design Alliance. @authentic_design_alliance
PRESENTED BY:
Authentic Design Alliance
A for-purpose industry association, the Authentic Design Alliance (ADA) leads Australia’s fight against furniture design theft, advocating for authenticity and innovation while promoting sustainability through stronger intellectual property protections.
The ADA unites creators, brands, manufacturers, and specifiers who value original design, working toward a future in which counterfeit designs are illegal and the environmental consequences of copy culture are recognised.
Become an ADA Member, authenticdesignalliance.org
Design Made podcast
Hosted by Anne-Maree Sargean (AMS), Design Made shares conversations about thoughtful consumption of objects for home, business, life and living. We believe people should choose well and buy once.
Presented by Authentic Design Alliance, we connect creators, makers, retailers, innovators and distributors committed to authentic design with a wider audience, asking better questions about what they buy.
Find new episodes, @design_made_
SUPPORTED BY:
Cultivated
Cultivated advocates for the longevity of good design. Considered, quality products belong in a circular system: kept in use, repaired, recovered and refurbished. Working with Australian craftspeople, Cultivated reduces reliance on finite resources, raw material extraction, landfill use, pollution, and emissions throughout a product’s life cycle. cultivated.com.au
Artbank
Established in 1980, Artbank is a unique public art collection and leasing program built on a simple philosophy: art is for everyone. With more than 11,000 works by over 3,500 Australian artists, Artbank nurtures Australian creativity by acquiring works from living artists and shares them with the public through the leasing scheme. artbank.gov.au
Cult Design
Cult is a leading voice in contemporary design, representing internationally respected and locally celebrated furniture, lighting and accessories for residential and commercial spaces. For thirty years, Cult has worked with architects, designers and design-conscious clients to deliver considered, long-life solutions, and cofounder of the Authentic Design Alliance. cultdesign.com.au
FAQ
Is this part of Melbourne Design Week 2026? Yes. This is an official Melbourne Design Week 2026 event, held on Tuesday, 19 May 2026.
Who is the panel for? Designers, specifiers, makers, brands, retailers, educators and design-aware audiences.
Who is the Authentic Design Alliance (ADA)? The Authentic Design Alliance was founded in 2010 to tackle the rising problem of replica furniture. As an industry association, it supports the furniture and interior design sector in advocating for and educating about the importance of buying authentic, licensed furniture products.
What is RE: BORN? RE: BORN is a zero-waste exhibition by Romance Was Born and Cultivated, on display at Artbank in Collingwood. The evening opens with an exclusive guided tour.
What time is the guided tour of the RE: BORN exhibition? Doors open at 5.45 pm for a 6.00-6.30 pm tour.
How do I get tickets? Tickets are $30 (plus GST + bf), available via this link, with all proceeds going to the Authentic Design Alliance.
Will the event be live-streamed? At this stage, no, but if you contact the organisers, you can be updated if a livestream is organised. Contact the ADA.
